Right and left ventricular function and pulmonary artery pressure in patients with bronchiectasis.

Background: Bronchiectasis may have deleterious effects on cardiac function secondary to pulmonary hypertension (PH). This study was designed to assess cardiac function and determine the prevalence of PH in patients with cystic and cylindrical bronchiectasis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with bronchiectasis diagnosed by CT scan was conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between December 2005 and January 2007.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm presenting only as vocal cord paralysis.

We present a case of unilateral vocal cord paralysis in a 76-year-old Saudi male presenting with hoarseness of voice caused by thoracic aortic aneurysm. Here, we are illustrating a rare entity of thoracic aortic aneurysm presenting only with hoarseness of voice to draw attention to unusual clinical manifestations of this serious underlying aortic pathology.